Outside Podcast

The Cold Hard Facts of Freezing to Death Feb 19, 2025

What happens to your body when you get lost and confused on a mountain in the bitter cold of a winter night? In 2016 The Outside Podcast launched with this harrowing story of a lost motorist fighting for his life. Based on Peter Stark's classic feature, Frozen Alive, it is still considered a high-water mark for experiential audio storytelling.

Surviving at Sea on a Surfboard Jan 29, 2025

Matthew Bryce went surfing alone. Would he die alone, too? As he was riding waves, Bryce got blown out to sea. He had a wetsuit and a surfboard, and nothing else. No way to call for help, or signal to the rescuers that he could see searching for him in a helicopter. Alone and freezing in the ocean, how do you keep from giving up?

How to Keep Your Chin Up When It Hurts Jan 15, 2025

When John Orth, a violin maker from Colorado, set out to break his own world record for the most pull-ups in 24 hours, he had no idea he was competing against a college kid from Virginia. And that kid, Andrew Shapiro, didn't know Orth had his eyes set on the same number--10,000 pull-ups. No one had previously thought such a feat was possible, and as the two men grabbed their respective bars and started to pull, they would find a new limit to human endurance.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Who’s Got It Worse, Ass-Pens or J-Holes? Dec 18, 2024

Outside spends a lot of time ranking the best mountain towns in the country, but which one is the worst? Is Aspen’s conspicuous wealth worse than Jackson Hole’s false modesty? How many billionaires does it take to ruin a local economy? Is there any hope for the ski-bum lifestyle? Paddy O’Connell and Frederick “Rico” Reimers bring us a debate you only win by losing.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Shaun White's Next Twist Dec 11, 2024

Shaun White has been the face of snowboarding for two decades. So what is he doing in retirement? A lot. He’s launching his own snowboard brand. He’s raising money to protect public lands. He’s even starting his own half-pipe competition. In this live interview from The Outside Festival in Denver, former NFL linebacker Dhani Jones talks with White about life after pro sports and how the keys to his past success play a role in his future.

Tickets to the 2025 Outside Festival and Summit are on sale now at early bird prices at theoutsidefestival.com

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Up A Tree Without A Paddle Dec 04, 2024

It was the trip of a lifetime. Several months paddling the Amazon, trying to eat without being eaten. It almost all went to plan. But when Bruce Frey and Ed Welch found themselves being trailed through the jungle by a jaguar at sunset, their only choice was to take refuge in a tree and hope they could survive the night.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

A Bull Named Party Bus and the Rodeo Clown Showdown Nov 20, 2024

JJ Harrison is the only person at a rodeo who is supposed to get hit by the bulls.As the clown, he’s responsible for everyone’s safety. The crowd loves him. It’s a good life—even if it hurts a little. Then over the summer, with JJ in the ring, a bull named Party Bus jumped the fence at the rodeo in Sisters, Oregon. Five people were injured, and it seemed like the kind of thing that might end the small-town event. Alex Ward reports on the ups and downs of the modern clown.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

How We Survive Nov 13, 2024

The US military is responsible for the emission of more greenhouse gasses than any other single institution in the world. It is actively planning for the consequences of climate change, but is it doing anything to prevent it? In the new season of How We Survive, the team from Marketplace looks at how rising global temperatures and more extreme weather will change the future of conflict and combat, and what that means for soldiers in the field.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Alone and Broken in the Desert Nov 06, 2024

Claire Nelson was more than a mile off the trail when she fell 30 feet in Joshua Tree National Park. As she lay there with a broken pelvis, she realized she had no cell service, and no one knew where she was. As three days alone and broken in the desert turned into four, she was forced to reckon with all of the choices that had brought her there, and ask: What does it mean to be truly alone?

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Navigating a Class V Marriage Oct 30, 2024

When Katie Arnold and her husband Steve were invited to run the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, it was a lifelong dream come true. But then disaster struck in the opening moments of the trip, and the couple faced two daunting tasks—survive the river, and then fix their marriage.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

A Holiday in Hell Oct 23, 2024

Camping in 120 degree heat can be deadly. But can it also be beautiful? What started as a lark—a road trip in search of very, very hot weather—became an exercise in humility for writer Leath Tonino and his buddy Sean when they spent a night out in the desert. Their mission was to find the hottest patch of sand they could drive to, camp out, and survive. But as the mercury climbed and the sun obliterated their minds, their Mad Max adventure started to look more and more like a window into something amazing—and terrifying.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Butterflies on the Wall—Part 2 Oct 16, 2024

The border wall had an all star cast of political operatives trying to get it built. The butterflies had Marianna Trevino Wright.With the spotlight on The National Butterfly Center, Marianna finds herself absorbing the full weight of an online campaign to discredit her. Then people start showing up in person.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Butterflies on the Wall—Part 1 Oct 09, 2024

How did a US congressional candidate and the director of the National Butterfly Center end up in a physical altercation on the US border with Mexico?When contractors showed up in Mission, Texas to break ground on President Trump’s border wall, they didn’t think there would be much resistance. But when people found out the wall would go straight through critical butterfly habitat, everything changed.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

The Disappearance of the Monarch King—Part 2 Oct 02, 2024

Was Homero’s death an accident? Or murder? And who would want Homero dead? Reporters Michael May and Zach Goldbaum head to Mexico to investigate the death of conservationist Homero Gomez Gonzalez, who was supposedly killed for defending the butterflies. But new information complicates the official story, leaving them with even more questions.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

The Disappearance of the Monarch King—Part 1 Sep 25, 2024

Monarchs are considered the king of the butterflies. In Michoacan, Mexico conservationist Homero Gomez Gonzalez was considered the king of the Monarchs. Until one day in 2020, when he disappeared without a trace. In this series, reporters Zach Goldbaum and Michael May examine the intersection of conservation, politics, power, and crime at the world's most popular butterfly reserve.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

A Suspiciously Straightforward Treasure Hunt Sep 19, 2024

The world's most interesting video game designer just hid a treasure in the woods. What's he up to? Jason Rohrer has been pushing the limits of game design for 20 years, but his latest creation takes players into the forests of New England in search of a sculpture made of solid gold. The catch? He says there isn't one. But people familiar with his past work aren't so sure.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

Ada Limon Wants Picnic Tables to Make You Feel Something Sep 11, 2024

When Ada Limon, America’s first Latina poet laureate, was tasked with bringing poetry to people who otherwise might not be exposed to it, she knew just where to put it: National Parks. The celebrated poet talks to Outside about her inspirations for the You Are Here project, and how nature and poetry can help us rethink wild places, and our place in them.

You can find a list of National Parks for the You Are Here project at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/literature/poetryinparks.htm

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

The Banks Growing Money on Trees Aug 28, 2024

A quarter of the money at the world’s largest banks goes directly to funding fossil fuel projects. But what if it didn’t? In this episode, reporter Cat Jaffee calls customer service at her bank—one of the world’s largest financial institutions—to ask them if they might consider investing her money differently. It goes about as well as you’d expect.

Calculate your banks carbon footprint at www.topofinance.org/calculator

Bank FWD Climate Calculator: www.bankfwd.org

Find a better bank: https://greenamerica.org/get-a-better-bank

Is your retirement savings invested in fossil fuels? www.fossilfreefunds.org

The Outside Podcast is made possible by our Outside Plus members. Learn more about all the benefits of membership at outsideonline.com/podplus.

The Mystery of the Mis-Labeled Mollusk Aug 21, 2024

Emojis are silly. But sometimes something silly gets lodged in your brain and you can’t stop thinking about it. Recently, reporter Meg Duff noticed that her phone was mis-classifying a handful of animal emojis, and an internet rabbit hole turned into a headphones smiley face.